And if you would like to have a copy sent in the post every month, then we offer a postal subscription for just £30 for 12 issues, £15 for six issues or buy a copy for just £3.95. UK mainland prices. For Euro and World zone subscription prices – see our website. 

Chinese New Year falls on Tuesday 1 February – if that isn't a good excuse for a weeknight party, what is?

Few of us (if any!) have a wood-fired oven large enough to hang and roast whole ducks in, authentic Peking Duck-style. But this recipe goes a long way to capturing and creating the flavour, texture and sociable 'theatrics' of this classic Chinese crowd-pleaser without too much hassle or stress, making it the perfect centrepiece for your at-home Chinese New Year celebration. 

High quality, ready made Plum Sauce is, of course, widely available. But a homemade version of this rich, fruity, piquant treat can be rustled up while the duck is roasting... and offers the added benefit of the possibility of saucy leftovers that can be stored in a covered tub in the fridge for up to a week, on hand to add an exotic twist to weekday lunchtime sandwiches or next week's Sunday roast. Gong hei fat choy!

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 whole duck (approx. 1.5-2k)
1-2 tbsp Chinese 5-spice
1 onion, peeled and chopped into 4 wedges
4 star anise
5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and bruised
White pepper 

For the plum sauce:

8 large, juicy plums, roughly chopped into 2cm pieces
1 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
A sprinkling of dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 cloves of garlic (peeled and minced)
1 ½ tbsp dark muscovado sugar
2 star anise
1 generous tsp white pepper

To serve: 16 duck pancakes; 6 spring onions, finely shredded; 1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks; plum sauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Dry the duck with kitchen paper. Sprinkle the 5-spice powder into the cavity of the duck, using your fingers to press it into the cavity 'walls'. Fill the cavity with the onion wedges, star anise and garlic. 

2. Using skewers, secure the neck skin at the head end of the duck and pull any excess skin around the main cavity, securing with more skewers (this process keeps as much flavour as possible within the duck, and allows it to steam from the inside out while roasting). 

3. Put the duck on a rack over a deep roasting tray. Prick the skin all over with a fork (taking care not to puncture the flesh below the skin) and season with salt, white pepper and more 5-spice powder. Roast the duck for one hour, pouring the excess fat that collects in the tin into a container a couple of times during the initial roasting process (save that fragrant duck fat! It's perfect for roasting potatoes at a later date).

4. Meanwhile, make the plum sauce: put the chopped plums into a large saucepan or wok along with the Chinese 5-spice powder, dried chilli flakes, soy sauce, runny honey, Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry), garlic, dark muscovado sugar, star anise, white pepper and 3 tbsp water. Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook gently for around 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding the odd splash of water if necessary (you don't want the mixture to dry out) until the plums are very soft. Blend the sauce with a stick blender until smooth, adding more soy sauce and/or honey to taste. Set the sauce to one side.

5. After the duck has been roasting for one hour, increase the oven temperature to 220°C/gas mark 7 and continue to roast for a further 25 minutes to allow the skin to crisp up. 

6. Take the duck out of the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes, by which time it will be cool enough to handle. Remove the duck legs and the breast, place on a warm serving platter and shred the flesh with two forks. 

7. Serve warm with hot steamed pancakes, shredded spring onions, cucumber and plum sauce.

Sea Bass with Ginger, Garlic, Chilli and Spring Onions (serves 4)

Season the sea bass fillets with salt and white pepper, then slash the skin on each fillet 3-4 times. Heat around 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large frying pan and fry the fish skin-side down for around 4-5 mins or until the skin is very crisp and the flesh almost cooked through (you might need to do this in 2 batches). Flip the fillets over and cook for another 30 seconds, transfer them to a warm serving plate and sprinkle with 6 peeled, shredded spring onions and splashes of dark soy sauce. Add a little more oil to the pan and saute 1 thumb-sized knob of peeled, grated ginger, 2 peeled, minced garlic cloves and 1-2 fresh, deseeded thinly sliced red chillies for around 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is just turning golden. Spoon the hot aromatics over the fish fillets and serve immediately as part of a banquet or on a bed of freshly-steamed white rice.

Sweet and Sour Tofu (serves 4; vegan)

Heat around 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the tofu and fry for 5 mins, turning regularly, until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a warm plate and set to one side. Heat a little more oil in the pan over a high heat and saute 1 large peeled, chopped the onion, 2 chopped, deseeded red peppers and 3 peeled, crushed garlic cloves for 5-6 mins, or until soft but not coloured. Add 300g fresh or tinned pineapple chunks, 3-4 tbsp low-salt ketchup, 3-4 tbs rice wine vinegar, 2 tbsp dark soy sauce and 200ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce is sticky and slightly reduced. Stir the tofu back into the pan to reheat through. Serve in warm bowls as part of a banquet, or on a bed of freshly-steamed white rice.

Sticky Chinese 'Barbecue' Ribs (serves 4)

In a medium-sized bowl, mix 6 tbsp runny honey with 3 heaped tbsp oyster or hoisin sauce, ½ tsp dried chilli flakes, 4 Star Anise, 1 tsp white pepper and ½ tsp salt to create a marinade. Put 2kg meaty pork ribs (chopped into 2-3 rib sections) into a suitably-sized roasting tin or baking dish, tuck 4 peeled, roughly-sliced slivers of garlic in and around the meat, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Roast the ribs in a preheated oven (160°C/gas mark 3) for 90 minutes, turning, occasionally before turning the heat up to 200°C/gas mark 6 for a final 15-minute blast (keep an eye on them though, as the honey in the marinade can burn easily). The ribs are ready when the meat is tender and the sauce is sticky and almost charred. Serve hot as a starter or as part of a banquet.

Honey, Garlic and Sesame King Prawns (serves 4)

In a medium-sized bowl, combine 600g large, raw, deveined king prawns with 2 tbsp sesame oil, 3 tbsp runny honey and 2 cloves of garlic (peeled and crushed). Set to one side. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tbsp water in a wok or frying pan over a medium heat and saute 2 large, deseeded, peeled and thinly-sliced red peppers with 1 large peeled, grated carrot for around 3 minutes, or until just starting to soften. Add 6 large spring onions (peeled and shredded), 1 chopped, deseeded red chilli, 1 x 3cm chunk of ginger (peeled and grated), 3 tbsp dark soy sauce and the marinated prawns (plus all the marinade) and saute for a further 3-5 minutes or until the prawns have turned pink and are thoroughly cooked through. Serve on beds of freshly-steamed white rice in warm bowls or as part of a banquet, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Love letters and a romantic dinner from The Ivy Bath Brasserie

This Valentine’s Day, celebrate with a limited-edition book, cocktail menu and dessert at The Ivy Bath Brasserie. 

The Ivy has joined forces with Letters of Note to give diners a gift to treasure forever. Love is an exclusive book compiled by Shaun Usher, featuring a collection of the most passionate love letters written in history, reimagined by The Ivy Collection with a bespoke cover and foreword. The book will be offered to all guests who book a table in the restaurant on Monday, 14 February.

A limited-edition cocktail menu designed to make even the cold-hearted blush will also be available for guests, alongside Pillow Talk (£17.95): an indulgent sharing dessert featuring peach and raspberry parfait, white chocolate mousse, popping candy and a raspberry sauce.

The Valentine’s Day specials are available from Friday, 11 February to Monday, 14 February. 

To book a table and enjoy a complimentary copy of Love on Monday, 14 February, please visit theivybathbrasserie.com. 

Spiced Cane: a non-alcoholic rum from ANON

ANON’s Spiced Cane is a non-alcoholic rum alternative. As well as tasting great served with coke or in coffee, and even in puddings, Spiced Cane is also delicious simply with ice! Providing a warming sensation with a spicy kick, with hints of cinnamon, vanilla and ginger, it is to be especially enjoyed by the fire during the Autumn and Winter months.

Visit the ANON website to shop Spiced Cane, and more alcohol free alternatives: anondrinks.com

Special offer on Chivite wines

The Great Wine Co have just tasted two excellent, single-vineyard wines from J. Chivite Family Estates in Navarra, Spain – they are so good that they truly deserve to be better-known. 

To this end, the wine sellers have agreed with Chivite to make the two wines available at a specially negotiated price for just four weeks.  They retail at £16.65 each, but by using code CHIVITE40 you can try them for just £9.95 per bottle until 14 February. There is no limit to how many times you can use this code, so if you try them and like them (and we think you will!) you can stock up before the offer ends.

Finca Legardeta Chardonnay 
This has a lovely aroma of perfectly ripe, juicy William pears, with delectable nuances of spices, frankincense and ginger. Wonderful succulence of texture, with an understated richness reminiscent of Saint Véran in Burgundy. The flavours reflect the aroma: deliciously juicy and fresh, and displaying both orchard fruits and suggestions of pineapple and fresh papaya. Irresistible! 

Legardeta Garnacha
A vibrant cherry-juice appearance and scents of ripe cherries and strawberries, seasoned with vanilla, pepper and dried herbs, make a sip inevitable. On the palate, the lovely, soft, juicy texture forms the first impression, along with the lively fruit. It is rounded and mellow, without any heaviness - the balance is sensational. It might age ­­– but it's so delicious now, why wait?

Looking for more delicious foodie inspo?

Click through to browse our full Delicious Guide!

For the love of Amethyst

The birthstone for February is Amethyst: a variety of crystalline quartz that is known for its spectacular deep purple colour, but can also range from a blend of violet and red to a lighter lilac hue – and occasionally a light green.

Ancient Greeks believed that the stone protected the wearer from intoxication and enabled them to be level headed when stressed. Mallory Jewellers have a fine display of designer collections as well as their own bespoke jewellery, all showing off the beauty of Amethyst in its many faceted forms. We love these (from left, clockwise) :

• Chopard 'Imperiale' 18ct white gold cushion-cut amethyst ring, on sale at £1,308 (was £2,180)
• Marco Bicego 'Jaipur' 18ct yellow gold amethyst ring, £960
• Amethyst stud earrings is 18ct rose gold, £870
• Pomellato Nudo Maxi 18ct rose and white gold amethyst ring, £2,470

Click below to see a range of Amethyst jewellery at Mallory. 

Weekend MaxMara: dress for brighter days ahead

Paolo Wool Jacket – Quartz

Relaxed-fit jacket in hand-sewn double-faced wool fabric, a shirt collar, wide low set-in sleeves and welt pockets. Single-breasted covered-button fastening. £485

Available to buy from the Grace and Mabel website: graceandmabel.co.uk

Lush's Mr Loba Loba bath bomb

This lovely lobster swims into your bath and is filled with sodium alginate for an especially hydrating soak. Containing biodegradable red hearts, and scented with sweet benzoin and tonka, it’s boombastic, romantic and fantastic. £3.50

From bath bombs, to shower jelly and environmentally friendly gifts, there’s something for everyone in The Lush Valentine’s Day 2022 range. 

Shop the full collection at lush.com 

BBC iPlayer: The Responder

Under pressure, fraying at the edges. In relentless night-time Liverpool, copper Chris is paired with a rookie. Will they save or destroy each other? 

The Responder, starring Martin Freeman, has been met by a chorus of critical acclaim. 

All five episodes are streaming on BBC iPlayer now: bbc.co.uk

Nightmare Alley (15)

Ambitious showman Stanton ‘Stan’ Carlisle is on the run after a stint at a roaming carnival, armed with a mind-reading act that he’s certain will make him famous. That is, until he meets local psychiatrist Lillian Ritter. The two agree to team up to swindle Ritter’s rich clientele, but both soon end up caught in a web of their own deceptions.

Starring Bradley Cooper, Willem Dafoe, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette and Ron Perlman, Nightmare Alley marks the return of acclaimed director, Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, The Shape of Water). 

Book tickets on the Picturehouses website: picturehouses.com

Curated by Daniel McCabe

Sound American is a quarterly journal on experimental music that we’re now importing from the US. Published by trumpeter, composer and writer Nate Wooley since 2012, it’s quite an intelligent affair mixing interviews, essays and musings on obscure and better known artists, shot through with an appealing sense of discovery – you’re always learning stuff – and a refined literary bent which allows it to stray into areas that seem only loosely associated with the subject. Bookish in formal, each release has a particular theme which, as they say, you can 'build into your library’. £15.99

Gabriel Moreno and The Quivering Poets, Sunday 5 February 

Gibraltarian poet and singer songwriter likened to poetical singers such as Nick Cave, Bill Callahan and Leonard Cohen.

Advance tickets £13, £15 on the door. Doors at 7.30pm, ends 10.30pm

Click here to buy your tickets